1、2010 年北京外国语大学英语专业（基础英语）真题试卷及答案解析(总分：60.00，做题时间：90 分钟)一、阅读理解(总题数：2，分数：24.00)Americans are living in an argument culture. There is a pervasive warlike atmosphere that makes us approach public dialogue, and just about anything we need to accomplish, as if it were a fight. Thinking of human interactions
2、 as battles is a metaphorical frame through which we learn to regard the world and the people in it. All language uses metaphors to express ideas; some metaphoric words and expressions are novel, made up for the occasion, but more are calcified in the language. They are simply the way we think it is
3、 natural to express ideas. We don“t think of them as metaphors. When someone says, “Don“t pussyfoot around; get to the point“ , there is no explicit comparison to a cat, but the comparison is there nonetheless, implied in the word “pussyfoot“. I doubt that individuals using the word “pussyfoot“think
4、 consciously of cats. More often than not, we use expressions without thinking about their metaphoric implications. But that doesn“t mean those implications are not influencing us. Americans talk about almost everything as if it were a war. A book about the history of linguistics is called The Lingu
5、istics Wars. A magazine article about claims that science is not completely objective is titled The Science Wars. One about competition among caterers is“ Party Wars“and on and on in a potentially endless list. Politics, of course, is a prime candidate . One of the innumerable possible examples, the
6、 headline of a story reporting that the Democratic National Convention nominated Bill Clinton to run for a second term declares, “ DEMOCRATS SEND CLINTON INTO BATTLE FOR A 2D TERM. “But medicine is as frequent a candidate, as we talk about battling and conquering disease. Why does it matter that our
7、 public discourse is filled with military metaphors? Aren“t they just words? Why not talk about something that matterslike actions? Because words matter. When we think we are using language, language is using us. As linguist Dwight Bolinger put it(employing a military metaphor), language is like a l
8、oaded gun;It can be fired intentionally, but it can wound or kill just as surely when fired accidentally. The terms in which we talk about something shape the way we think about itand even what we see. The power of words to shape perception has been proven by researchers in controlled experiments. P
9、sychologists Elizabeth Loftus and John Palmer, for example, found that the terms in which people are asked to recall something affect what they recall. The researchers showed subjects a film of two cars colliding, then asked how fast the cars were going; one week later, they asked whether there had
10、been any broken glass. Some subjects were asked, “ About how fast were the cars going when they bumped into each other?“Others were asked, “About how fast were the cars going when they smashed into each other?“Those who read the question with the verb “smashed “estimated that the cars were going fas
11、ter. They were also more likely to“remember“having seen broken glass.(There wasn“t any.) This is how language works. It invisibly molds our way of thinking about people, actions, and the world around us. Military metaphors train us to think aboutand seeeverything in terms of fighting, conflict, and
12、war. This perspective then limits our imaginations when we consider what we can do about situations we would like to understand or change. In the argument culture, war metaphors pervade our talk and shape our thinking. Nearly everything is framed as a battle or game in which winning or losing is the
13、 main concern. These all have their uses and place, but they are not the only wayand often not the best wayto understand and approach our world. Conflict and opposition are as necessary as cooperation and agreement, but the scale is off balance, with conflict and opposition over-weighted.（分数：12.00）(
14、1).We know from Paragraph 2 that_.（分数：2.00）A.the word “pussyfoot“ has no relation with catsB.metaphoric words are usually created for special occasionsC.pussyfootis a newly-coined wordD.metaphoric implications can be found in all languages(2).The underlined words “a prime candidate“ in Paragraph 3 p
15、robably means_.（分数：2.00）A.an important person for electionB.the first person considered for a jobC.something most suitable for a particular purposeD.something more important than words(3).By saying “language is using us“(Paragraph 5), the writer means_.（分数：2.00）A.the terms we use shape our perceptio
16、n of the worldB.military metaphors help linguists to express ideas more clearlyC.language can hurt people unintentionallyD.language empowers us to fight with each other(4).The experiment conducted by the two psychologists shows_.（分数：2.00）A.the choice of words can affect the way people see thingsB.it
17、 is of utmost importance to ask good questionsC.there is difference between “smash“ and “bump into“D.the memory of an accident can only last for one week(5).We can learn from the text that, in the writer“s opinion, _.（分数：2.00）A.the argument culture is good for American societyB.Americans place too m
18、uch importance on conflict and oppositionC.war metaphors have a positive impact on people“s thinkingD.more research should be done on the argument culture(6).The best title for this passage is probably_.（分数：2.00）A.Metaphors in an Argument CultureB.We Are What We Speak; Living in an Argument CultureC
19、.Words Do Matter; Metaphors in American CultureD.Language and Culture DebateI recently became one of the last people in America to acquire a portable radio/headphone set. This delay was out of characternormally I ride the crest of every trend. But in this case I sensed a certain dangerous potential.
20、 So I put off the purchase for ages, feeling wary of such an inviting distraction. Too much headphone time, I worried, could easily impair my business performance, if not ruin my way of life completely. As it turns out, my concerns were right on target. The problem isn“t the expense, or the constant
21、 exposure to musical drivel, or even the endangerment of my hearingand I do like to keep the volume set on “blast“. No, the problem is more subtle and insidious. It“s simply that, once I was fully plugged in, things stopped occurring to me. I get excited about good ideas. Especially my own. I used t
22、o have lists of them in all my regular haunts . My office desk, kitchen, car and even my gym bag were littered with bits of paper. Ideas ranging from a terrific brochure headline or a pitch to a new client for my public-relations agency to finding a new route to avoid the morning rusheach notion beg
23、an as an unsummoned thought, mulled over and jotted down. The old story has it that Isaac Newton identified the concept and presence of gravity while sitting under an apple tree. One fruit fell and science gained new dimension. While there may be some historic license in that tale, it“s easy to see
24、that if Newton had been wearing his Walkman, he probably would have overlooked the real impact of the apple“s fall. This is the problematic side of technological evolution. As tools become more compact, portable and inescapable, they begin to take away something they cannot replace. The car phone, b
25、attery-powered TV, portable fax and notepad-size computer do everything for accessibility. They make it easy to be in touch, to be productive, to avoid the tragedy of a wasted second. But there are worse things than empty time. A calendar packed to the max makes it easy to overlook what“s missing. A
26、 dearth of good ideas isn“t something that strikes like a lightning bolt. It“s a far more gradual dawning, like the slow unwelcome recognition that one“s memory has become less sharp. If that dawning is slow, it“s because our minds are fully occupied. It now takes an unprecedented depth of knowledge
27、 to stay on top of basic matters, from choosing sensible investments to purchasing the healthiest food. There is literally no end to the information that has become essential. When there is a chance to relax, we don“t stop the input; we change channels. With earphones on our heads or televisions in
28、our faces, we lock in to a steady barrage of news, views and videos that eliminate likelihood of any spontaneous thought. Still, we are not totally oblivious. We work hard to counter the mind-numbing impact of the river of information we are forced to absorb. There is a deliberate emphasis on the im
29、portance of creative thought as a daily factor. From seminars to smart drinks, from computer programs to yoga postures, there“s no end to the strategies and products that claim to enhance creativity. It would be unfair to say that all of these methods are without value. But beyond a certain point th
30、ey are, at best, superfluous. Trying too hard to reach for high-quality insight can thwart the process in the worst way. The best ideas occur to me when my mind is otherwise unchallenged and there is no pressure to create. I have mentally composed whole articles while jogging, flashed upon the solut
31、ion to a software dilemma while sitting in the steam room, come up with just the right opening line for a client“s speech while pushing a vacuum. These were not problems I had set out to address at those particular times. Inventiveness came to my uncluttered mind in a random, unfocused moment. Certa
32、inly not every idea that pops up during a quiet time is a winner. But a surprising number do set me on the path to fresh solutions. And I have found that a free flow of ideas builds its own momentum, leapfrogging me along to answer that work. The simple fact is that time spent lost in thought isn“t
33、really lost at all. That“s why“ unplugged time “is vital. It“s when new directions, different approaches and exciting solutions emerge from a place that can“t be tapped at will. It is unwise to take this resource for granted. Better to recognize it, understand something about where it resides and th
34、ereby ensure it is not lost. Clearly, this is far easier said than done. Technology is seductive. It chases us down, grabs hold and will not let us go. Nor do we want it to. The challenge is to keep it in its place and to remember that time spent unplugged brings unique rewards. This doesn“t mean I
35、will abandon my new radio headset toy. But I will take the precaution of leaving it in my dresser drawer on a regular basis. Otherwise, unlike wise old Newton, I may see the fall but never grasp its meaning.（分数：12.00）(1).We may infer from the text that the writer_.（分数：2.00）A.did not like to follow t
36、he trendB.prefers to listen to soft musicC.works at a public relations firmD.was not a creative person(2).The writer uses the example of Isaac Newton to show that_.（分数：2.00）A.scientists should stay close to nature to grasp the meaning of natural lawB.a creative scientist can change the course of his
37、toryC.a good idea is something that strikes like a lightning boltD.innovative ideas usually originate in times when the mind ranges freely(3).One of the problems that come with technological development is that_.（分数：2.00）A.our minds are too occupied to have any creative ideasB.tools become too compl
38、icated to operateC.our memory becomes less sharpD.people have too many gadgets to carry(4).The underlined word“ haunts“ in Paragraph 4 probably refers to_ .（分数：2.00）A.placesB.peopleC.activitiesD.ghosts(5).In the last few paragraphs, the writer suggests that people should_.（分数：2.00）A.get rid of radio
39、 headsetsB.enjoy unplugged time regularlyC.face the challenge of technologyD.learn from Isaac Newton(6).The best title for this text probably is_.（分数：2.00）A.The Latest Trend in HeadsetsB.Impacts of Scientific DevelopmentC.We Are Too Busy for IdeasD.The Best of the Gadgets二、判断题(总题数：1，分数：10.00)Read th
40、e following passage carefully and then decide whether the statements which follow are true(T)or false(F). Multiculturalism: E Pluribus Plures Questions of race, ethnicity, and religion have been a perennial source of conflict in American education. The schools have often attracted the zealous attent
41、ion of those who wish to influence the future, as well as those who wish to change the way we view the past. In our history, the schools have been not only an institution to teach young people skills and knowledge, but an arena where interest groups fight to preserve their values, or to revise the j
42、udgments of history, or to bring about fundamental social change. Given the diversity of American society, it has been impossible to insulate the schools from pressures that result from differences and tensions among groups. When people differ about basic values, sooner or later those disagreements
43、turn up in battles about how schools are organized or what the schools should teach. Sometimes these battles remove a terrible injustice, like racial segregation. Sometimes, however, interest groups politicize the curriculum and attempt to impose their views on teachers, school officials, and textbo
44、ok publishers. When groups cross the line into extremism, advancing their own agendas without regard to reason or to others, they threaten public education itself, making it difficult to teach any issues honestly and making the entire curriculum vulnerable to political campaigns. For many years, the
45、 public schools attempted to neutralize controversies over race, religion, and ethnicity by ignoring them. The textbooks minimized problems among groups and taught a sanitized version of history. Race, religion, and ethnicity were presented as minor elements in the American saga; slavery was treated
46、 as an episode, immigration as a sidebar, and women were largely absent. The textbooks concentrated on presidents, wars, national politics, and issues of state. An occasional “great black“ or “great woman“ received mention, but the main narrative paid little attention to minority groups and women. W
47、ith the ethnic revival of the 1960s, this approach to the teaching of history came under fire, because the history of national leadersvirtually all of whom were white, Anglo-Saxon, and male ignored the place in American history of those who were none of the above. The traditional history of elites h
48、ad been complemented by an assimilationist view of American society, which presumed that everyone in the American melting pot would eventually lose or abandon those ethnic characteristics that distinguished each from mainstream Americans. The ethnic revival demonstrated that many groups did not want
49、 to be assimilated or melted. Ethnic studies programs popped up on campuses to teach not only that“ black is beautiful“ , but also that every other variety of ethnicity is “ beautiful“ as well; eveiyone who had “roots“ began to look for them so that they, too, could recover that ancestral part of themselves that had not been homogenized. As ethnicity became an accepted subject for study in the late 1960s, textbooks were assailed for their failure to portray blacks accurately; within a few years, the textbooks in wide use w
